It seems like exciting changes are coming to Victoria everywhere you look. Less than a year after the City of Victoria unveiled our new “Growing Victoria” community development approach, that phrase is being put into action through a variety of forward-thinking projects that will make Victoria a better place to live, work, and play. As mayor, I am proud of what we have accomplished together, and I look forward to helping our community continue to thrive.

One exciting change that has come to fruition very recently is the transfer of the University of Houston-Victoria to the Texas A&M University System. I am thankful to the lawmakers and local leaders who advocated for this historic milestone for higher education in our community. Regardless of which flagship university you may support, we can all agree that this transfer will help our local university to become an even greater force for educational opportunity and economic vitality.

Our community is also looking forward to the Victoria Community Center renovation project that was approved by voters during the May 3 election. This long-overdue project is truly an investment in our residents, who deserve to have a high-quality venue for entertainment and community gatherings. This venue is first and foremost a community center, and as such, we will strive to keep it accessible and affordable for our residents.

I recently had the pleasure of taking part in the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Victoria Village shopping center, which is currently slated to include Burlington, Ulta and Five Below along with space for additional retailers or restaurants. The City’s Economic Development department supports the growth and expansion of businesses of all sizes, because they play a vital role in our community by creating jobs, growing our tax base, and improving quality of life.

Of course, none of the work that we do would be possible without our employees, which is why I appointed a committee made up of Council members and executive staff  to develop recommendations to better address employee retention and recruitment for all City positions. This committee is proposing a $3.6 million increase in employee compensation, with most of the increase going toward our first responders. The committee’s work included strategic recommendations for funding this increase using existing financial resources, without raising property taxes and without detracting from other critical initiatives.

With that being said, compensation is only one way that we invest in our employees. Another important part of the puzzle is providing them with the right tools and equipment for their jobs. To that end, the City Council at our last meeting approved the purchase of sixteen new public safety vehicles (nine police vehicles, three fire trucks, and four ambulances) to replace existing vehicles that are approaching or exceeding their recommended service period. Another great example is the forthcoming Public Safety Headquarters, which will centralize our public safety departments in a modern facility with space and amenities to help meet our current and future needs.

I would also like to applaud the successes of our local partners, particularly the Port of Victoria, which recently secured a long-term ground lease with Green Energy Origin Texas, LLC, paving the way for construction of a $150 million technologically advanced manufacturing facility at the Port that will bring high-paying jobs to our region and further Victoria’s status as a hub for manufacturing and innovation.

I am excited and honored to serve as mayor during these historic times, and I will continue to advocate and work with local partners to help our community grow and prosper. To learn more about the “Growing Victoria” effort, visit www.growingvictoriatx.com. 

Duane Crocker is the mayor of the City of Victoria.